2019 Ram 3500 Review

Looking for a New Ram 3500 in your area?

2019 Ram 3500Overview

Ram’s one-ton 3500 truck sits in a competitive category, doing battle against the Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD, Ford F-350 Super Duty, and GMC Sierra 3500HD. It was last redesigned in 2009 and given an overhaul in 2013, making the all-new 2019 3500 model a welcome sight.

The new front end is a dramatic departure from the previous model, because it no longer features Ram’s famous crosshair grille. At the rear, new taillights with double-bar motifs and a brand-new Ram logo design announce the vehicle's departure. The body and structure themselves include plenty of invisible improvements, too: increased numbers of spot welds, higher-strength grades of steel, and a new frame that’s both stronger and lighter. As before, Ram offers the 3500 in Regular Cab, Crew Cab, and Mega Cab styles, each with single or dual rear-wheel axles.

Inside, surfaces are more modern and wrapped in nicer materials. Ram took a great leap in terms of technology when it designed the 3500’s new optional 12-inch portrait infotainment system, which takes up the entire center stack. It can display one application in full screen or two apps stacked atop one other. A new instrument cluster with high-definition 3D graphics and a set of five USB ports also comes standard. In terms of space, the center console now holds 22.6 liters, versus 19.7, which is enough to accommodate a standard 15-inch laptop in the lower storage area. Active noise cancellation, acoustic glass, and revised climate controls that are both quieter and more powerful round out the list of improvements.

The base engine is a 6.4-liter Hemi V8, making the same 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque as last year. That said, it mates to a new 8-speed automatic transmission, which offers two more gears than the 2018 model. The powerhouse engine is, as before, a turbocharged 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel inline 6-cylinder, now featuring 400 hp and a massive 1,000 lb-ft of torque, increases of 15 and 70, respectively. That engine comes with either a 6-speed manual or revised 6-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive (RWD) comes standard, while you can upgrade to a heavy-duty 4-wheel-drive (4WD) system. All in, the redesigned 3500 can carry as many as 7,680 pounds of payload and tow up to 35,100 pounds, numbers that are considerably higher than last year’s respective figures of 7,350 and 30,000.

In terms of features and options, keyless start is now standard across the range. In addition to the aforementioned 12-inch infotainment system, there are 5- and 8.4-inch units, the latter of which includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Ram also lets you select between three headlight types: halogen, full-LED, and full-LED with adaptive projector beams. Other major options include a 750-watt Harman Kardon audio system with 17 speakers and the return of the brand’s RamBox cargo management system, now capable of supplying 400 watts of power to quickly charge tools.

In terms of safety, Ram focused on making the 3500 effortless to drive, especially while towing. The tire-pressure-monitoring system, which measures the pressure of each tire installed on the vehicle, now includes the ability to keep track of up to 12 trailer tires. A new bed-facing camera supplements the standard reversing camera. Finally, you can specify automatic emergency braking and a 360-degree camera.

A one-ton truck is as much a mobile office as it is a workhorse. The 2019 Ram 3500 makes considerable strides to improve in both of those areas. Stay tuned for its release later this year.

Kyree is new to the automotive journalism scene, but has voiced snarky public opinions about cars for quite some time. When he's not drooling over the latest European luxury sled, he's designing web experiences or writing backend code.